Grading and ditching machine.



.No. 806,431. PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905-.

I R. RUSSELL.

GRADING AND DITGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1904.

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No. 806,431. PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905. R. RUSSELL GRADING AND DITOHING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY25. 1904.

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N17" lYEJJEJ PATENTED DEG.5,19,05.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 R RUSSELL GRADING AND DITOHING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY25,1904.

vifv the machine. Fig.4.is a simi'larview'looking UNITED sTATns [PATE T orrion. f

RICHARD .RussELL, OF STEPHEN, MINNESOTA.

Y No. 06,431.-

'To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD RUssELL, of Stephen, Marshall county, Minnesota, have invented certain newand useful Improvements inDitching and Grading Machines, of which the foll'owingis a specification.

; My invention relates to grading-machines of the type employing a plow and a side-delivery conveyer operating in connection therewith.

The object of my invention is to provide an easy-running machine having the motorpower for the operating mechanism carried bythe machine-frame. I

1 A further object is to providea machine which can be easily and quickly adjusted to adapt'it to the character of the soil where it is used. -A further objectisto provide a ditching and grading machine of comparatively simple construction and one that will be very strong and durable. I

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. f

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal section on the line a: w of Fig. 2.- Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Figl 3 is a vertical transverse section looking toward the front end of toward the rear end of the machine. Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view showing an evener mechanism connected with the draft-pole. Fig. 6 is a detail-of the mechanism support.- ing the front end' of the machine-frame on Fig. 7 is a detail of the to the machine fname.

In the drawings, 2 represents a frame,

1 preferably of channel-bars on account of their strength and rigidity, provided with a platform 3 and forward and rear axles 4 and 5, having wheels 6 and 7 Beneath the frame and arranged transversely. thereof is a carrierframe composed of two sectionsan inner secin hangers 17, provided withbraces'18; The

-. GRADING AND DITCHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed-Tilly 25,1904. Serial No. 217,915.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

slots in the straps l3 allow the inner carriersection to be moved lengthwise for the purpose of loosening the belt or taking up the slack therein, and to accomplish such movement- I prefer to provideashaft '19, having arms 20' connected by rods 22 with plates 23,

that are secured to the sides ofithe carriersection. A lever 24, mounted on the shaft 19 and operating over a toothed quadrant. 25, allows the operator to easily and quickly adjust the inner section of the carrier-frame.

To regulate the movement of the carrierframe, I prefer to provide a series of holes 26' frame, driven bya belt 28 from an engine 29,

preferably of the gasolene type, arranged upon a platform 30, that rests upon the rear axle below themachine-frame. Aclutch mechanism 31, operatedb'y a lever 32,'is provided for the purpose of connecting or disconnecting the operating mechanism with the engine.

A belt 33 connects asprocket 34 on the shaft I 27 with a shaft 35, around which the outer portion of the carrier-belt passes and from which power is derived to drive the said belt. I prefer to support the engine below the level of the m'achine frame and comparatively near theground for the'purpose of making the machine more stable and with .less tendency to tilt or topple over in passing-over rough ground. The exhaust pipe 36 from the engine is eiitended down. and carried in between the. upper and lower sections of the carrier-belt, and the discharge from the eX- haust serves: to keep the dirtfrom accumulating between the sections of the belt, being carried around the roller 11. This manner of utilizing the exhaust I regard as a very important feature of my invention, as considerable annoyance and. delay are experienced by V 4 the operators of these machines through the accumulation of dirt between the belt-rollers, causing thebelt to run hard and: sometimes stopping it altogether.

Upon the machine-frame I provide brackets 37, supporting shafts 38 and .39,- that'are connected by chains 40 and. 41 with the inner and outer sections of the. carrier=frame. Operating-wheels 42 and 43 are provided on said shafts; having' suitable' ratchet mechanisms r 4A, and bymanipulating these wheels the operator can raise or lower the receiving and the discharge end of the carrier-belt and adapt it for the character of the ground where the machine is used.

Considerable difficulty is frequently experienced in operating machines of this kind through the weight of the outer carrier-section tilting the machine-frame and throwing the platform out of a horizontal position and making it diflicult to handle the plow and operate it with the best results. I therefore provide a trussrod 45, that extends from the forward right-hand corner of the machineframe back over a brace 46 to the rear lefthand corner of the machine near the engine, where it is secured to one of the hangers 48 that supports the engine-platform .30. This truss-rod serves to transmit the weight of the outer carrier-section from the forward righthand corner of the machine, which is usually subjected to a very heavy strain, to the rear left-hand corner, where the weight of the engine will aid materially in holding the platform to its proper level. The strain of the truss-rod 45 on the machine-frame is counteracted very largely by means of truss-rods 49, which extend diagonally beneath the frame from one corner to another under and across each other just beneath a casting 50, that is bolted to the under side of the machine-frame near the middle thereof. The ends of the rods 49 are secured to castings 51, that are bolted to the flanges of the channel-bars, of which the frame is composed, as shown in Fig. 7.

A brace-bar 52 extends lengthwise of the machine-frame and is secured to the brackets 37 and serves to brace and strengthen them when subjected to the strain of the loaded carrier-frame.

On the left-hand side of the machine I provide a plow-beam 53, carrying a plow 54 and a wheel-colter 55 and an ordinary guidingwheel 56, supported on a pivot 57 A bar 58 is pivotally connected at one end to one of the hangers 17 and at its other end has a pivotal connection with the beam 53, limiting the lateral movement of said beam and allowing it to be tilted back and forth to vary the vertical angle of the plow with respect to the soil. A bar 59 is pivoted at one end to one of the hangers and at its other end is pivoted to a strap 60, secured to the plow-beam and pivotally connected at its upper end by a link 61 with a lever 62, pivoted on the bar 59 and arranged to operate over a quadrant 63. The movement of this lever back and forth over the quadrant will serve to tilt the plow-beam and vary the angle of the plow in the ground. A chain 64 connects a bar 59 with the shaft 65, having an operating-wheel 66 and mounted in standards 67, and a similar chain 68 connects the forward end of the plow-beam with a sleeve 69, loosely mounted on the shaft and having an operating-wheel 70.

The forward end of the frame has a bearing 71 on the forward axle, and a clevis 72, mounted on said axle, is connected by a chain 73 with a similar clevis 7 4 on the cross-bar 58, and a chain 75 connects the said clevises with the inner carrier section 8. A clevis 76 passes through the clevis 72 and carries a pulley 77, over which a chain 78 passes to a rod 79 on the under side of a pole 80 and to a sliding bar 81 on the upper side of said pole. A draft connection 82 is provided on the bar 81, to which the rear team is connected, while the leaders are attached to the rod 79. The chain 78 moves back and forth over the pulley, acting as an evener to distribute the strain between the draft-beams. A chain 83, having a spring 84, connects the forward end of the machineframe with the pole. A bracing-strap 85 extends from the under side of the forward axle near the clevis 72 to the middle portion of the machine-platform.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The plow having been adjusted at the proper height from the ground and the proper angle with respect to the work, the carrier-belt is set in motion and the team started to move the machine over theground to be ditched or graded. The exhaust-blast from the engine will prevent the accumulation of dirt between the upper and lower sections of the carrierbelt, and the connection of the plow crossbars and the carrier-frame with the forward axle will insure the plow and carrier being held in their proper position while at work. The weight of the excavated material on the outer end of the carrier will be transmitted through the overhead truss-rods to the rear end of the machine, where the weight of the engine will serve to hold the machine-frame at the proper level. At any time while at work the carrier-frame and plow may be readjusted to suit the condition of the soil where the machine is used.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a wheeled frame, of a side-delivery carrier supported beneath the same, a plow arranged near the receiving end of said carrier, a gas-engine operatively connected with said carrier, and a pipe leading from the exhaust of said engine and terminating between the upper and lower sections of said carrier near its receiving end,

the same, truss-rods connecting .the diagonally opposite corners of said frame on the under side thereof, and a bearing interposed between said under truss-rods near their point of intersection and said frame.

4. In a machine of the class described, the

combination, with a channel-bar frame having fsuitable axles and supporting-wheels, of trus'srods extending diagonally of said frame beneath the same, and castings engagingthe flanges of said channel-bars at the corners of the frame andto which castings the ends'of' said truss-rods are secured, substantially as described. Y

5. The combinatiomwith a frame having forward and rear axles and wheels therefor, of a side-delivery carrier operating beneath said frame, a plow, a platform resting upon the rear axle below said-frame, hangers whereon said platform is'suspended, and a gas-engine resting upon said platform and having operative connections with said carrier.

6. Thecombination, with a wheeled frame and the hangers depending therefrom, of a carrier-frame composed of two sections the outer being'hinged on said-hangers and the innerasection having a sliding support thereon, a beltoperating over said sections, a rock'- shaft having arms, rods connecting said arms with said inner section, and an operating-lever for said shaft. I

7. The combination, of a wheeled frame and a side-delivery carrier-composed of an inner and an outer section,ihangersdepending from said frame, a :sh'aft' mounted in said hangers and whereon the outer carrier-section is hinged, straps secured to said inner section and'having' slots to receive said shaftand slide thereon, a carrierbelt operating over said sections, and mechanism for moving said inner section lengthwise to loosen or tighten the belt.

8. The combination, with a wheeled'frame,

of a side-delivery carrier, a hanger depending from said frame, a plow having a suitable beam, bars pivotally connecting said plow beam and said hanger, and an-operating-lever mounted on said bars and having a pivotal connection with said beam, for the purpose specified. i

9. The combination, with a wheeled frame,

of a side-delivery carrier, bars 58 and 59 pivotally connecting the plow-beam with said frame, a lever 62 pivoted on said bar 59, a

strap extending from the under side of said beam to a point above the same, and alinkf beyond-the frame on one side, means for weighting down one end of said frame to counterbalance the Weight of the outer end of the carrier, and 'means'for distributing throughout said frame the strain arising from the weight oflthe outer end of the carrier, substantially as described.

1-2. The combination. with a wheeled frame, of a side-delivery carrier arranged to extend laterally beyond said frame on oneside, .an.engine supported on the rear'of said frame and connected with said carrier, and a truss-rod connecting the forward corner of said frame contiguous to said carrier with the rear corner onthe opposite side of the machine, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a frame having suitable wheels, of aside-delivery carrier arranged to extend laterally beyond said frame on oneside, -and a truss-rod arranged 'to distribute over said frame'the-strain arising from the weight of the outer end of the carrier."

14. The combination, with a'fra'me, ofasidedelivery-carrier, a truss-rod connecting the diagonally opposite corners'of said frame on the upper side, and truss-rods connecting the diagonally opposite corners of said frame on the under side, substantially'as described.

l5. The-combinatiomwith a frame, of a sidedelivery carrier, castings mounted on said frame at the corners thereof and truss-rods provided on the under side of said frame and having their ends" attached to said castings I and crossing one another at a point near the above the rear axle, and a'gas-engine resting upon said platform and operatively connected with said carrier, substantially as described. 17 The combination, witha frame, of a side- 1 delivery carrier composed of two sectionswith a sllding connection between them, a rock' shaft mounted in said frame, means connecting said rock-shaft with said inner sliding section, an operating-leverforsaid shaft, and a plow arranged near the receivingslde ofsald carrier. I 7

18. The combination, with a wheeled frame, of a side-delivery'carrier, a plow and beamatone-end of said-carrier, hangers depending from-said frame on the opposite side thereof from said plow, bars pivotally connected at one end 'to said hangers and at the other end to said beam, and meansfortilting said beam and plow.

19.: The combination, with a wheeled frame,

of aside-delivery carrier provided beneath the and one of said bars, and means for winding up said chalns to raise or lower sa1d bars and vary the adjustment of-said plow.

20. In a grading-machine, the combination,

with a frame, of a side-delivery carrier and plow, brackets 37 mounted on said frame, an arched bar 52 extending lengthwise of said frame and connecting said brackets, shafts 38 and 39 mounted in bearings on said brackets, and chains connecting said shafts and the receiving and discharge ends respectively of said carrier.

21. The combination, with a wheeled frame, of a side-delivery carrier suspended beneath the same, a plow-beam and a plow, a bar having a pivotal connection with said frame and with said beam, standards mounted on said frame, a shaft carried thereby, chains connecting said shaft with bar and with the forward end of said plow-beam, and means for winding up or unwinding said chains independently of one another.

22. The combination, with a wheeled frame, of a side-delivery carrier composed of pivotally-connected sections, triangular brackets mounted on said frame transversely thereof, a brace-bar extending lengthwise of said frame and connecting said brackets, shafts supported in bearings on said brackets one above the level of the other and extending lengthwise of said frame, and flexible connections between said shafts and the hinged sections respectively of said carrier, substantially as described.

23. The combination, with an axle, of a clevis connection therewith and provided with an antifriction-wheel, a draftpole, a sliding bar thereon having a draft connection for atend upon said axle and bolted at its upper endto said frame between the flanges of said channel-bar, and brace-rods connecting the lower end of said standard with said frame, substantially as described.

25. The combination, with a wheeled frame provided with a suitable platform, of a sidedelivery carrier supported beneath said platform, a plow, mechanism mounted on said platform for raising or lowering said carrier and said plow, and a motor operatively connected with said carrier and supported below the level of said platform, for the purpose specified.

26. The combination, with a frame, of a side-delivery carrier, a plow, a platform supported below the level of said frame, and a motor mounted on said platform and operatively connected with said carrier.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of July, 1904.

RICHARD RUSSELL.

In presence of M. HAGERTY, RICHARD PAUL. 

